Vietnamese rookies, help us out!

All -

A small group of us are heading out for some VIetnamese this Sunday and I am curious if you all could provide some help as I am not versed at all in Vietnamese but yet I volunteered to find the restaurant.

Obviously, Tank gets some great reviews, would this work well for a group of people who all will be fairly new to the style of food? Any other suggestions? Would like to keep it in Chicagoland area.

What are some staple items to try?

Thanks for any help!

jpeac2 wrote:Obviously, Tank gets some great reviews, would this work well for a group of people who all will be fairly new to the style of food? Any other suggestions? Would like to keep it in Chicagoland area.

Tank Noodle has really good food and a waitstaff that is very willing to explain the menu items to you. Also, Tank serves an extensive menu far beyond merely pho dishes.

for overall food, i would also go to Tank, although i'm the not biggest fan of the atmosphere (open seating, bright lights, modern music) and sometimes find myself at Thai Binh (Pho 999) which is just east of the L. the atmosphere is about right for me (darker lights, fewer tables, less noise) and i actually prefer their bowl to tank's most times.

Vietnamese Thai Binh Restaurant
1113 W Argyle St
Chicago, IL 60640

(773) 728-0283‎

Cafe Hoang on Argyle is terrific for their fresh bright salads and above average Pho. It has been discussed herein extensively:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.ph ... hlight=goi

I dont think you can go wrong at withTank in this situation. The menu is huge so there is something for everyone. Beef, fish, fowl or vegetarian, they will accomodate. The fruit drinks are also really good. See the numerous posts in the GNR thread for help ordering.

I also love the atmosphere it is bright loud and just plain busy. Very fun.

Vietnamese differs from Chinese and even Thai cuisine in its liberal usage of fresh herbs such as mint, cilantro & lemongrass, and the yin-yang combinations of cold, crunchy vegetables & noodles in conjunct with marinated meat. It's addicting.

Great dishes to try, in addition to the aforementioned pho would be:

Vietnamese Egg Rolls---small, cigarlike cylinders to be dipped in a vinegary fish sauce that doesn't taste fishy at all.

Banx Xeo---a large, folded-over, thin & crispy pancake/crepe filled with raw bean sprouts, sliced cucumber, slivered carrots, sauteed chicken & shrimp, cilantro leaves. All this is to be cut up, wrapped in green leaf lettuce, drizzled with vinegar sauce & eaten like a wrap.

Bun Bo---cold, thin rice vermicelli topped with cuke, carrots, bean sprouts, sauteed onion, mint, cilantro, and satay beef in a peanut sauce. My favorite salad.

Lemon Grass Chicken---the Vietnamese signature dish, made differently at various restaurants. My favorite was Mekong's on Broadway, which was, simply, marinated chicken thighs in lemon grass, wokked and served hot on a bed of green leaf lettuce with piping-hot rice on the side.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee---better than Starbucks, almost better than anything. Most trad Vietnamese restaurants will place a couple inches of sweetened condensed milk in the bottom of a tall glass, then use a metal filter to let their own brand of espresso to drip down. The process takes about 15 minutes. When done, the condensed milk & coffee are stirred vigorously and poured into another glass filled with ice cubes.

Indescribably refreshing, and enough caffeine to make you want to mow your lawn.

Enjoy one of my favorite cuisines!